Researching Codes And Conventions With Existing Horror Films

Codes and Conventions

Dead Wood

Use of Camera 

• The Point-of-View shot makes the audience feel more tense as it puts them in the mans shoes.
• The worms eye view shot is used to trick the audience into believing that the man makes the jump successfully. This makes the effect of him missing it more dramatic.
• The high angle shot makes the man seem small and insignificant.
• Low angle shot highlights the fatal height of the drop. It also makes the man look powerless and weak compared to the river below him.
• A mid-shot of the man displays the trees shaking in the background – shows that the danger is right behind him.
• Tracking behind the man gives us the expression that he is being followed.
• An arc shot around the man creates an uneasy atmosphere as the surroundings aren’t in focus.
• The close ups of his face are used to reveal his scared, panicked facial expressions and to also make the scene more intense as the audience is unable to see what is behind him – we don’t know where the “killer’ is.
• The shaky crabbing movement of the man running through the woods gives the audience a sense of danger and suggests that something may be chasing after him.

Use Of Sound 

• At first, the music is eerily peaceful and also has a haunting feel to it due to the slow tempo and low sounds. Sounds of birds and nature has been added to give the audience a sense of location.
• During the chase scene the sounds become more textured and have a higher pitch which resemble stabbing motions.
• Tempo becomes faster during the chase scene.
• A long string sound builds up suspense by going from low to high.
• Silence is used to create suspense – allows the characters breath to become more emphasized and for background noise to be more noticeable, such as the “monster” coming through the trees.

Editing 

• Linear filming ensures that the story line makes sense.
• Fades into the first scene.

• The slow motion over the ditch emphasises the importance of him making the jump. It also increases the intensity within the audience.

• The cuts gradually become more and more frequent. This makes the pace of the film faster and more intense.

Mise-En-scene

•  female is wearing revealing, provocative clothing to symbolize the stereotypical girl.
• Shallow space highlights that the thing chasing the character is extremely near. It shows that it is approaching the male which creates suspense for the viewer.
• The blood on the males face suggests that he has encountered the monster already and managed to get away from it.
• The blood that comes out of his mouth shows the audience that he has been killed.
• Low-key lighting to make obscure shadows to give a mysterious atmosphere.
• The male character is wearing a Hawaiian shirt which gives the audience the impression that he may be a bit foolish.

Conventions 

• Somebody dies within the first five minutes.
• A character falls over during a tense part
• .A secluded location.
• Fairly young boy and girl (possibly a couple).
• The male becomes extremely close to safety but doesn’t reach it.
• A chase scene, with the killer right behind him.
• Separation between the characters.

Wrong turn

Use of Camera

• .Establishing shot shows the area that they are in which is full of trees and rocks, not one building or people in sigh
•  .Panning
•  .Longshot
•  .Mid-shot
•  .Low angle shot made the girl look weak
•  .High angle
•  .Crane shot
•  .Two shot highlights that the characters are having a conversation
•  .Crabbing

Use Of Sound 

• .Tension building music is used when danger is about to occur
•  .Music drops when he reaches the top of the cliff to trick the audience to think that nothing is about to go wrong till you hear him being killed
•  .Girl screams which clearly shows that she
•  .Hear his body drop to the ground as he is attacked

Editing 

• .Titles
• .Match on action
•  . Linear filming insures that the films makes sense

Mise-En-scene

• .Hiking/Climbing equipment to insure that the audience believes that they are safe until they untie themselves from the ropes
• .Blood highlights that the person has been murdered violently
• .The van symbolises that the girl is one step closer to being safe and escaping the danger
• .Razor/trip wire used to trap the girl and stop her from reaching her safety point

Conventions 

• .Abandoned forest area

• ..Dangerous area

• .Calling for help

•  .Trips over and takes a long period to get back up

•  .Separated from each other

• .Safety is in sight

Dead Mary 

Use of Camera 

• Extreme close-ups of the sign which gives the audience some sense of location but still has a mysterious element to it.
• In and out of focus shots to, again, add a sense of mystery.
• Long shot of the sign highlights how the woman is in the middle of nowhere and it also adds a bit of the backstory; by showing a gas station sign it suggests that a car may of broken down etc.
• A low angle close up of the car emphasises the isolation as the audience can see the long stretch of road in the background.
• The point of view shot again emphasises that no one is around.
• A long shot of the car acts as a point of view shot and reveals that something is watching her. The camera is also tracking forward to show that, whatever it is, it is coming closer to her.
• Close ups of the woman's face feel unnatural and shows her as being quite vulnerable.
• Close ups of important items such as the keys, her phone, the radio and the flare gun - highlights the fact that he is in danger.
• High angled shot of the woman looking for signal makes her look small and vulnerable.
• The camera constantly tracks the woman's movement which gives the impression that she is being watched.
• Long shot of an out of focus figure walking to the car - adds tension to the viewer as we are unable to identify if he is good or bad straight away.
• Shot reverse shot shows that the two characters are conversing.

Use Of Sound

• Metallic sounds in the opening which can be associated with chains, being trapped. Usually quite a spooky sound.
• Are able to hear birds and nature sounds in the background. This highlights the secluded location of the woman and how quiet it is out there.
• The lack of music makes the scene quiet realistic but also add suspense.
• During the point of view of someone looking at the car, the sounds become more warped and twisted which gives off an evil atmosphere.
• The radio sounds are creepy and weird noises can be heard such as a woman who seems in pain and an odd, demonic laugh at the end - could possibly foreshadow future events.

Editing 

• Linear editing ensures that the story line makes sense, so does the match on action.
• The cuts are generally quite slow paced which create an eerie atmosphere.
• Constant cuts from views inside the car ad outside the car - this shows two different point of views, which suggests that there are two people (her and whoever is watching her).
• The cut to the sudden dropping of the petrol cans may act as some kind of jump scare.

Mise-En-Scene

 

• The female is wearing clothes that reveal a lot of skin in order to symbolise the stereotypical female. It could also be to show that she is  vulnerable.
• The sign shows that they are away from civilisation.
• The close up of the flare gun highlights that they may need it later on.

• Petrol can shows that the male went off to get petrol due to the car running out of fuel.

Conventions

• The location is secluded.
• There is no signal which is shown by the use of the radio and her phone.
• There are two fairly young people, a boy and a girl.
• Car won't start.
• The audience is unable to see the killer but they know it is there.
• The characters separate and the female is left by herself.